Hi. We are a design/style LA based company specializing in mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets. Also we have a strange amount of fun blogging about all our design and style adventures. Right now I’m happy to say that I’m Target’s home spokesperson, bringing accessible/stylish design to the masses.

A Bathroom Fit For The Family

Guest Bathroom Reveal

The horror that was this bathroom (before renovation) was intense and I was in denial. Sure I knew it was TERRIBLE and apologized to any newcomer that came over, but for a couple years I was unable to really tackle it – emotionally, physically and financially.
Here’s how it looked when we first moved in:

Why would I let that room exist in my house for 2 1/2 years? We were renovating the house one project at a time and after we had Elliot (our second tiny child) opting to do construction in a bathroom right next to two napping children’s room is a hard trigger to pull. Last spring we finally tackled it. We had it demo’d while we were out of town so that helped with one week of it and this bathroom really only took a month so it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.

We started by creating the design plan. I wanted it to feel fresh and clean, with a midcentury vibe and with enough uniqueness to be portfolio worthy, but also work with the style of the house. While I love my master bathroom I made a couple decisions on the design that made it feel too traditional (for the house) so I wanted this one to feel distinctively mid-century inspired modern, without living in a time warp.

YES! No longer apologizing. I LOVE IT. I’ve all but forgotten how annoying the construction was and how expensive a tiny bathroom can be if you hire a contractor.

I think that the labor for the bathroom cost around $10-11k which always really baffles me because we weren’t even moving any plumbing. (The same contractor was doing my exterior and laundry closet so I’m not sure how much exactly was for the bathroom but I think that was around $11k – for labor). If you want to do it yourself, and not hire a general contractor to manage and instead hire the subs yourself (or … if you are a bad ass and do the labor yourself) then you can save so much money. But I chose to spend the money, not the time on this project, so I handed it off to Golan, my lovely contractor and Remi, one of my freelance designers helped project manage everything.

The floor tile is from Erin Adams and this was what I was waiting for to really pull the trigger on everything else. I love that it’s graphic but still detailed, and has a variety of colors all of which I love. It’s a cement tile which is certainly on trend – see a whole round up of hundreds of cement tiles here. I have a couple updates on cement tile, by the way for you. It has to be REALLY REALLY sealed in order for it not to take on stain or coloring. It’s porous so by nature, yes, it can get discolored. We recently had another client have to reseal their tile as it wasn’t sealed enough the first time and they might even have to replace a couple tiles. My advice – be ok with the aging or don’t go with cement. As we think about our next house I’m thinking about cement tile in the courtyard and while the aging looks bad at first, I’m confidant that once it becomes evenly aged then it will look great and integrious to the house. But if you are looking for something to stay new and shiny forever, skip this type of tile.

I however, don’t mind this aging and I LOVE this tile so very very much. We chose navy blue grout to help hide that dirt (not the case in the master and before we move we are going to have to probably re-grout to give it a fresh look again). I just love this tile, so much so that we didn’t want to put a bathroom rug in here.

The surround tile is from the Chaine Homme pattern from Fireclay and while it’s white on white, it has such a good texture and catches the light so beautifully. The tiles vary a little bit in color and thickness which gives it such good texture and takes it from looking standard to extra special (the pattern doesn’t hurt). We’ve recently had a couple issues with ‘bright white’ grout looking beige. This is mostly because around the base of the tile, by the tub they want to add grout that has sand in it to make sure it sticks to the cast iron or the vinyl. What we ended up doing is using that then going over it with the white grout. In our master they didn’t use that adhesive sand colored grout and it has cracked at the base. So it’s kind of a lose, lose but not that big of a deal if you just don’t mind either doing a quick re-grout or if you went with beige grout in the first place.

The vanity was found at the flea market about a year ago. It was exactly what I was looking for stylistically and was only 2 inches off (which I didn’t care about). It was a $180 nightstand/dresser and we retrofitted it to be the vanity.

It has storage because both drawers still work, they just cut that square hole for the plumbing. We sealed it with a clear matte sealant that has held up soooo well. I’m sure at some point a toothpaste smudge won’t get cleaned up in time, but I think it would just take a quick wipe down with oil and another sealant. But for now, it looks brand new despite Charlie’s disgusting toddler-teeth-brushing habits.

The vessel on top contrasted in shape, although a square would have worked in this case, too. I love how simple it is and by being a circle it provided slightly more surface area.

I reached out to Rejuvenation about their tub/shower suite because I just think it’s perfect in every way. We ended up getting everything because once you start with one style/finish it is best to keep it consistent. I didn’t with the master because it wasn’t possible as Kohler didn’t sell any sconces that I thought would be right and the different finish doesn’t bother me one bit, but I love how these all match – especially for such a small bathroom that needs to feel as pulled together and big as possible. The finish of the gold gets drip marks on it so I just polished it with Brasso and it got a bit shinier and lighter which I liked, but if you are obsessed with it staying a dark brass, like when its brand-new and unused, you might want to know that. I love how it looks now, even more actually. It’s a matte brass and just looks and feels so solid. You’ll also notice that beautiful teak and brass tray that I have at the back of the bathtub. I bought it at Garde last year (available online here) and it is currently in the bathroom and it houses as few little accessories and brought in the wood tones, and warmth that I wanted although I can’t promise the longevity of having something like that in the bathroom as it is wood and raw brass. But – with that said, it is a beauty and I love having it in there to house a few products and keep things tidy at the edge of the bathtub.

The leather mirror is perfect as I wanted a different finish than the gold, and not white, and not silver, and there wasn’t any black in there at that point (we painted the handles of the dresser black the day before the shoot). I had a round one there (one that is now in the master bedroom) and while it fit, it was circle overload. I love that this is a rectangle with softer edges and it brings in that caramel leather that I apparently can’t live without in every room, including the bathroom.

For all of you Bathroom P.I.’s out there, you might notice that there isn’t a shower curtain or door. Indeed. Here’s the deal – we think that this bathroom wants a glass door, not just a curtain. But with two tiny children bathing in there, we need full accessibility to them. So our plan was to not put it in until they were older – say 4 and 6 (when can kids bathe themselves without you having panic attacks??). Now that we are selling the house I asked our realtor if that is something that he recommended us installing before we put on the market and he said that we probably wouldn’t recoup that price in the sale. It would cost about $2k for the glass and labor and we aren’t motivated to do it while we live here and doing it for someone else doesn’t seem like a very fun way to spend money. There are way too many other things to fix before we move. We put up a white extendable rod and a curtain for the shoot but it really cheapened the bathroom so I took it down.

We added some art and pretty things to help warm it up a bit. I’m a huge fan of art in the bathroom. These pieces have been floating around my house but the last place the dog landed was up in the shelving too high to really appreciate. So I found some pieces to replace them with that still look good, and these officially live here now. We finished the space off with some pretty soaps, tooth brushes, etc – all editorial style.

We live more like this – ON A CLEAN DAY.

The stylist in me needs to show you the editorial version, but the reader in me knows that you , know I have kids. The only thing that is missing here is the little potty thing on top of the toilet and a mat for our knees while we are bathing them … and one million toys and tupperware containers.

There you have it – Our guest/kids bathroom. It’s so pretty I hate to use it, but those dirty kids need bathing, and that is what we’ll do in here … until we move and I have to design 3 new bathrooms and potentially build an additional one ….. WHAT?!?
Meanwhile, get this look if you are into it. I can honestly say that I have no regrets. I think because there was no real deadline and I was able to really take my time and make any adjustments along the way – how we do it with our clients.

A huge thanks to Golan for executing in a friendly, timely and high quality manner. If you are in LA and need a contractor I do recommend him (and no, this was not a trade with him …)

**Thanks to all the vendors that gifted or discounted product for this bathroom design and post – check out the get the look for all the links and sources, or comment below if you want to know more. They are all brands and products that I sought out because I genuinely love them. I realize I am extremely lucky and will continue to use the influence of this blog to help fund the product of pro bono projects like this or this.

Emily! What a gorgeous bath. I love the vintage vanity paired with cement tile. In my mind, cement tile reads as vintage, not trend. My grandmother’s house has hand painted cement tile throughout (in Colombia) and the patina is divine, the tile is still fabulous. The house feels straight out of a novel (house was built turn of the century 1900s)… Great work as always to you and your team. I also wish I could trust a contractor in my house when I’m not home. Ugh.

Thanks for sharing the labor cost. The labor cost is the hardest part to figure out if your thinking about renovating. We had an emergency bathroom tile situation that happened over the weekend. We might have to do the work ourselves.

While i understand why you don’t have a shower curtain. but I totally would groan if you put a shower door. I’m one of the people that despises shower doors. they are SUCH a pain to clean and never really stay clean, and Let’s be real, I’m not motivated to keep it clean. so shower curtain for me it is.

I agree with Beth, there are other easier but effective options to re-grouting. I live in Florida, where it is very common to have an entire home with ceramic tile and grout throughout. Which gets super dirty because the contractors didn’t seal it originally and by the time you figure that out the grout looks awful. I am painting my grout with Aqua Mix Grout Colorant, which is a colored epoxy sealer. It allows you to restore the stained grout to the original color, or change the color. It’s inexpensive and easy, but a bit time consuming, especially because I have a lot of square footage. In a bathroom it should be much faster. It really works though – it looks like a new floor! Also, in new construction, you can now get epoxy grout, which stays clean longer, and is easier to clean than typical grout. Some contractors don’t ask if you want it because of the cost. Totally worth it!

Practical question Emily — for a guest bathroom, I assume the shower/tub sometimes gets used, but I don’t see glass doors or a shower curtain. Did you take that out for the shoot or are you just cool with water getting everywhere? 😉

LOVE how crisp and clean this bathroom is! I know you say it’s small, but the height and all white tile and walls make it feel much larger. The finishes and art make it feel luxurious, yet comfy and quirky. And I can’t help but appreciate the subtle monogrammed tiles 🙂 Not sure if that was planned, but it totally works!

Hi Emily, did you think about putting thick glass on top of the vanity before installing the sink? It seems to me that it can protect the wood, but I was wondering whether you just knew better:) Guest bathroom is fabulous!

We did consider this, but as glass shows everything and has the potential to get water under it we decided just to take the risk and leave the vanity as-is. I am really happy with how it looks and how well it has stood up. xx

It looks great! In case you’re really curious about when kids can bathe alone, we transitioned to showers when my son was 5.5 and daughter was 3.5 or so; now he (6) showers independently and she (4) needs a little help but not much. But we ditched the baths since showers are WAY faster and easier!

LOVE this bathroom. It’s not a look I usually go for but it looks so, so well put together. Great job! It’s a heck of a lot better than my bathroom! We’re currently planning a reno after our previous contractor screwed everything up. We’re talking shower grout done in the wrong color, floor not sealed properly, fixtures and concrete sink ruined with acid. A NIGHTMARE. So we’re just scrapping everything and going in a totally different direction.

But here’s the problem I’m hoping someone on the Emily team or a reader can help with: I’m desperate to find an oval, ceiling mounted shower rod in black to go with our freestanding tub/shower and other black fixtures I’d like to get. I mean real black and not oil rubbed bronze which the internet keeps showing me. Maybe I’m just dumb but I’ve looked everywhere and found nothing. I see them all the time in images of finished bathrooms, but actually sourcing the product has been impossible for me.

We did a lot of sourcing when I purchased my ceiling mounted rod in my master bath, and black was hard to come by – which is such a shame. My suggestion would be to buy something in silver or oil rubbed and then spray it with some rustoleum satin black spray paint as that will stand up to the water and moisture. Hope that helps. xx

We have young kids and found Ark Shower Doors (glass semi/frameless doors that swing open all the way for total access to bathing toddlers). They are between $450-750 and easy to install. We have oth frameless and semi frameless, and I way prefer semi frameless. They look awesome in case you need something in your next place!

Hilary thank for this tip!! I was curious if water splashes out (used mostly for showers) with width options of 30 or 33.5…and why you prefer the semi frameless to the frameless? I would SO appreciate the feedback! Thanks!!!

Beautiful transformation. I’m just left curious to see how the tile looks on the wall. The photo seems overexposed and it’s not clear how the tile looks. I can see it slightly, below the tub. It looks uneven (which adds dimmension and looks great), but would it be possible to ever see it up close in a more natural light?

I know it’s been said before, but this makes me so thankful to live in the land of cheap labor. Holy Moly I got a deal on my bathrooms! I need to send my contractor a tip. It seems like you got absolutely hazed on the bathrooms, but alas, that is probably normal in LA. Unless you are Tari and Christina, apparently.

Beautiful! Could you share the white paint you used? I have a whole floor I’m painting white and my biggest concern is my windowless bathroom. I’d like to use decorator’s white for walls and cabinets both but am second guessing myself. The white here looks pretty white, not cream :). Thanks!

I ADORE the floor. I actually love the entire look and would happily download it from my laptop and have it pop up 3-D in my own bathroom.
One design consideration: since my husband had a stroke his vision has been significantly affected, walking is difficult because of his low vision, and a strongly patterned rug or floor is totally disorienting to him now. Something I would never ever thought of before.

On our black walnut island, I made a homemade paste of beeswax & coconut oil (microwaving it until it was all liquid & could be mixed & then left out to harden a bit, stirring so often). I would lay the wax on thick & let it sit for a few hours & then scrape it off with a silicon spatula & then buff away. It is quite impervious to the water & once the wood is really seasoned, you shouldn’t have to do it too often. If you buff it enough, there isn’t a residue, either.

I’ve been waiting for this post!! I’m about to start my own bathroom reno and was holding off until I saw your reveal. I have questions about that bathtub. Is it an alcove tub with a tile flange? If so how did you do that tile ledge that is flat with the tub? I have a 66″ space (removing a 60″ acrylic tub enclosure that had a built out wall). I wanted to do a 60″ deep tub and was looking at the Mirabelle apron front alcove). I’d love to do a flat tiled ledge like that for extra leaning head room when soaking, but how does that work with a tile flange? Or did you do a drop in tub and just build up the tile? Help?

I would also like to know about that tub. It looks perfect for a project I am working on. Can you tell us how comfortable it is? Some tubs kill your neck when lying down for long periods. This looks like it has just the right slant and you could lay in it for hours. Am I right?

I also have the same tub question! I am doing a “tub in a shower” in our new house. Looking to tile the front of the tub like you did so it is even with the lip of the tub. The Mirabelle link doesn’t appear to have a removable apron. Gorgeous bathroom! Hard to believe the before and after on this one!

not sure how expensive/difficult it is, but you could cut a piece of glass or plexiglass to put on top of the retrofitted vanity (not sure exactly how the sink bowl attaches) to prevent stains/water damage on the top surface

It looks lovely, but – and I know this might be difficult to understand as a person not growing up with the collective guilt of the second world war – putting H’s anywhere, is just the biggest no-go in Germany, if you are not a neonazi.
Putting an H or usually HH for Heil Hitler or 88 (because H is the 8th letter in the alphabet) as a symbol of their ideology is the most common things neonazis do nowadays (on license plates, tatoos, internet-alias etc.).

Looks great. I always wonder if vessel sinks will be too splashy, but I love the look of the in-wall faucet. The cement tile looks fantastic, but I have to echo that it is not for everyone. It is really thick, so may make for a strange transition to surrounding rooms if you are not working in a new build or lowering the floor in an existing build. Also, the tiles are made by hand, so are not perfect, nor does the pattern perfectly align when viewed up close. I think this adds to the charm, but could also drive others crazy. We put cement tiles in our kitchen and it’s got some total wow power and feels silky and amazing underfoot, but even if sealed well (and cleaned often), we have just come to expect some wear, dings and staining that will not come out completely. The colors permeate the tile, so buffing is always an option (but possibly a lot of work). So far we have left it as is and have decided not to micromanage the floor. We did use darker grout though, so are not dealing with discoloration on that front. I think the patina makes it look lived-in and like a beautiful old hotel lobby floor in France, but the overall wabi sabi look may not work for everyone.

BEAUTIFUL! I especially love the planked ceiling next to the more modern tile.

On the topic of grout – there have been a LOT of advances in grout in the last few years, and there are much better options on the market now than old school sanded/unsanded grout. If you are concerned about yellowing, an acrylic grout like FusionPro will not yellow, stain, or require sealing. Plus resists mildew much better than standard grout. There are some great epoxy grouts as well, but when specifically considered about yellowing, acrylic grout is the way to go. These grouts can be more expensive, but you are talking an extra $50 in a $11k overall budget, so…. The grout should not be what is holding the tile to the cast iron, by the way. The thinset behind the tile is what holds it to the wall.

I’m not entirely clear on what you meant by the grout at the base of the tub cracking; if you meant the tub surround, or the bottom of the surround, where the wall tile meets the floor. If so, that should be caulked, not grouted. Any change of plane should be caulked. Grout will always crack.

And since some people were talking about the hassle of cleaning shower glass – ShowerGuard glass from Guardian Glass has protectant baked into the glass, that really does protect against any build up, and will stay crystal clear with minimal cleaning (i.e. it doe not require the daily squeegeeing that most shower glass does). Any other advertised protectant is just coated on, just like you could yourself with Rain-X, and will not last forever like ShowerGuard will. But ShowerGuard glass can run MUCH more expensive than regular glass, and if you want low-iron versus clear (gives you that perfectly clear look, without any tint whatsoever), you are looking at $$$$.

When I redid our bathroom, we had the same issue with the shower rod vs doors. I really hate the look of doors on a tub, so in the end we installed a permanent chrome rod and only use a clear shower curtain liner as the curtain. It still looks fresh and modern.

I also looked everywhere for navy blue grout and couldn’t find it. We ended up using a medium gray. We sealed the cement tiles twice before grouting and the grout still lightly stained the tile in some places. That’s why most cement tile manufacturers will tell you to use a grout that is no darker than the lightest color in the tile. After grouting we did a light sanding of the tiles as the manufacturer recommended, and then sealed again, and we still get stains. Our cement floor tiles are in our kitchen so they get beat up more than they would in the bathroom but you can’t obsess over every splotch or stain or you’ll drive yourself crazy. Just have faith that they’ll look worse before they look better. I know things only stay pristine in our house for about 24 hours so I’m better off going for patina!

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THANK YOU!! Showing your entire process down to the cost! Bravo! You are not YOU for nothing. If you weren’t as funny or real in your posts it would be hard for me to keep reading, but YOU are AWESOME and I keep reading. 🙂
You definitely have talent and I always look forward to all your projects! Another book maybe??? Styling for Kids…then tweens …. then teens…then young adults….hahahaha! Love you guys!!! EHD!!!

For the tub, did you use an alcove tub or drop in? We are remodeling our bathroom soon and since our bathroom is wider than the tub like yours was here, we are planning on tiling the front of our tub as well as the ledge.

For the floor tile, can you tell me what grout you used? I’m having the hardest time finding a navy blue grout to match the tile that we want to use on the floors.

Absolutely love this bathroom. Could you tell me how the brass plumbing fixtures have aged? I am doing a complete house remodel and need some help on choosing my kitchen fixtures. Helppppp… Having technical difficulty too. Yikes!

While i understand why you don’t have a shower curtain. but I totally would groan if you put a shower door. I’m one of the people that despises shower doors. they are SUCH a pain to clean and never really stay clean, and Let’s be real, I’m not motivated to keep it clean. so shower curtain for me it is

I suffer from the same frustration that every decent American suffers from. That is, that you begin to wonder whether decent liberal instincts, decent humanitarian instincts, can actually penetrate the right-wing voice, get through the steering of American opinion by the mass media.

Hello!

Emily is a stylist, author and T.V. host with a strong commitment to vintage inspired approachable home style for every single person. Perfection is boring; Let’s get weird. learn more

Interior Design Blog by Emily Henderson

I started this interior design blog in 2010 as a journal of my style and home projects with the belief that design should be approachable, informational and accessible no matter what budget.

As a home style expert who has a strong commitment to peeling back the intimidating layers of the world of home decor, and showing how every person can have a beautiful home that represents their personality, no matter what the budget.

After styling for magazines and catalogues for years, I started my own interior design blog, won HGTV Design Star, and have gone on to host my own hit TV show Secrets from a Stylist, Author the book STYLED, and create the design firm Emily Henderson Design.

My motto has always been to write and publish on my blog what I personally want to read about.